Apparatus for disinfecting, odorizing, or other purposes.



Na.'s5s,91-s. PATENTED MAY 151, 1907f H. s. BLAGKMORE.

- APPARATUS FOR DISINFEGTING, ODORIZING, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLIOATION 31m) MAR. 25. 1905.

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HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN AUTOMATIC DISINFECTANT COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed March 25, 1905. Serial No. 252,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SPENCER BLAoKMoRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Vv estchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Disinfecting, OdoriZ ing, or other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for supplying disinfecting or odorizing substances to closets, urinals, or other receptacles, and has for its object the supplying of regulably measured quantities of disinfecting or odorizing fluids at stated intervals, Whereby a disinfecting or odorizing effect may be accomplished in cases where a small amount of disinfectant supplied by the continuous drip or drop machines would be too small to be practically available for the purposes desired.

My new and improved apparatus consists of certain new and novel features, as hereinafter clearly set forth, so combined that controlled and measured quantities of fluid may be discharged at the will of the user by ad justable means, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1. is a vertical transverse section of the apparatus having an air-inlet and liquiddischarge at the bottom thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the receptacle for regulating the discharge of the disinfectant from the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a modified form of receptacle for regulating the discharge of the disinfectant from the apparatus, and illustrates a means for regulating the flow of disinfectant from the reservoir of the apparatus into the receptacle, to be discharged therefrom at intervals by the action of the siphon therein as soon as the disinfectant in the receptacle has reached asuflicient height to induce the siphonic action; the siphon also being provided with a means, such as a telescopic inner end, which. may be shortened or elongated, thus regulating the amount of fluid discharge from the receptacle at any given time. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of a modified form of apparatus having an air-inlet and supplyeopening at the upper end of the receptacle, and illustrating the apparatus in combinationwith a bracket for holding the same. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a bracket for holding the apparatus.

On the drawings, the letter A designates an inverted ar, preferably of glass, and B a base-plate forming part of a supporting bracket C. The base-plate B i is provided w1th an upwardly projecting annular flange d, within which the jar A is firmly secured by means of cement, as shown at e, in Figs. 1 and 4.

The base-plate B is provided with a screwthreaded orifice within which a similarly threaded flange f is adapted to be secured. The said flange is provided at its inner side with a recess 9 within which the base of a tube or receptacle h is secured by means of cement, as indicated at as, in the several figures of the drawings. The lower part of the tube or receptacle h is provided with a small orifice 'i, for the passage of liquid from the jar A to the interior of the said tube, the flow of liquid through the orifice being controlled, in certain cases, by a screw 0, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

A drip tube k, having a downwardly-bent inner end 1, is connected with the flange f so that the bent end shall terminate slightly above the level of the orifice i of the tube h, the opposite end of the drip tube projecting below the flange f, as shown in the various figures.

Air is admitted to the interior of the tube or receptacle h through an inlet pipe m, which passes through the flange f and is se-. cured thereto by screw-threads, or any other desirable means. Or the air may be admitted to the jar A through the perforated screw-thread cap 9 of a nipple formed on the top of the jar A, as shown at 1).

To illustrate the operation of my device,

reference may be had to Fig. 4, which illus' trates the simplest form of the apparatus for dispensing disinfectants or odorizing substances. The disinfectant which I prefer to employ is a solution of formic aldehyde in an essential oil or other aromatic oil, such as camphor oil, which I introduce into the reservoir A through the opening ;0 by removing the screw-threaded cap q, until it nearly fills the reservoir. The screwthreaded cap,

through which is an opening for the purpose IOO of admitting air to the reservoir as the disinfectant is discharged therefrom, is then replaced, and the device for regulating the fiow of the aromatic disinfectant is adjusted to allow the aromatic disinfectant to gradually pass into the feed-tube or receptacle h at such a speed that at stated intervals it will reach the level of the turn in the siphon Z, which siphon is of such capacity that it will quickly discharge all the aromatic disinfectant which has accumulated in the receptacle; the discharge through the siphon being of so much greater capacity than the inlet through which it feeds from the reservoir, that as soon as the aromatic disinfectant has reached the internal end of the siphon, air will then pass in and break or check the siphonic action, the siphon then again remaining inoperative until the receptacle has gradually filled again up to a level sufiicient to reinduce the siphonic action. By this device I am enabled to discharge measured quantities of disinfectant and odorizing substances from the apparatus at given periods of time, which quantities discharged may be of such volume that a disinfecting, cleansing or odorizing effect may be produced, where the effect of a continuous drip or drop device would be insufiicient to accomplish the result.

The apparatus is combined with a bracket for the purpose of fastening it to the wall or in any desired position, and is adjustable, operating in a slot in a fixed device, screwed or otherwise attached to the wall, which slotted device is provided with a set-screw for the purpose of adjusting the disinfecting device as to height, and maintaining it in a fixed position.

I do not desire to confine myself to any particular form or arrangement of device, or any particular means for regulating the flow of disinfectant into the discharge receptacle, but reserve the right to employ any or all forms which may be advisible under particular conditions, so long as the essential features of the device are maintained, which consists substantially in a reservoir provided with a means for gradually accumulating a measured amount of disinfectant fed from a main reservoir, and discharging such measured accumulation of liquid at given periods, controlled by a means for conveying the liquid from the main reservoir into the discharge receptacle, the said discharge receptacle being provided with an automatically operating siphon actuated at intervals as the fluid in the discharge receptacle accumulates to a given level.

I can also elongate or contract the siphon in the discharge receptacle by.shortening or lengthening the inner end of the siphon by any convenient means, such as providing an adjustable telescopic tube or equivalent me ans producing a similar result. i

In filling the apparatus, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the reservoir is inverted and the discharge receptacle removed by unscrewing the threaded flangef and removing the receptacle therefrom, whereupon the reservoir may be filled with liquid, the screw-threade l flange replaced, and the apparatus inverted and clamped in an adjustable bracket, as shown in Fig. 5. It is found advisable, however, in a majority of cases, to employ an apparatus capable of being tilled without removing from the bracket, as shown, in Fig. 4, which merely requires the removal of the screw-threaded cap q. having therein an opening for admitting the air into the reservoir above the liquid.

By unscrewing the threaded llange and removing the receptacle with its included siphon, the apparatus may be repaired at any time with. little inconvenience. \Vhen this is done in connection with apparatus as illustrated in Fig. 4, the perforated cap y must lirst be replaced by an. imperforated cap, the apparatus then being removed from the bracket adjustment, as shown in Fig. 5, and inverted for the purpose of removing the discharge 1e ceptacle therefrom. In cases where there is no opening, as shown in Fig. 4-, for the purpose of supplying air to the reservoir and tilling the apparatus without removing the same from the bracket, such as shown in Fig. l, the air must be admitted into the reservoir during the operation of the device through the air-inlet pipe in which terminates so far above the bend of the siphon that the liquid will be discharged from the discharge reeeptacle before it reaches the inner end of the air-inlet tube or duct in. The air then reaches the interior of the reservoir above the liquid by passing up into the same from below through the aforesaid, inlet pipe or duet m and the extension of the discharge receptacle ZL which terminates above the liquid in the reservoir. By screwing or unscrewing the screw 0, in the threaded flange], as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the supply of the liquid from the reservoir to the discharge :retwptacle may be regulated at will.

In cases where a larger or smaller quantity of fluid is desired to be discharged from the discharge receptacle through and by means of the siphon Z, I prefer to employ an adjustable siphon. shown in Fig. 3, the iiiner end of the siphon Z passing into the tele scopic sleeve Z. which sleeve is pernuinently attached to the receptacle by means of the bracket Z.

By raising or lowering the siphon within the receptacle the inner end thereof slides within the sleeve Z, by which means the siphon may be lengthened or shortened by raising or lowering the same, the outer portion of the siphon passing through the stutting-box Zr and may be adjusted and secured at any given length by means of the screw nut z engaging the threaded outer end of the siphon at a height in relative correspondence to the amount of fluid desired to be discharged.

I am aware of the fact that apparatus has been devised for the automatic flushing of closets which includes a discharge tank placed within a reservoir or supply tank filled with.

water, the discharge tank being provided with an orifice or inlet of fixed area and a dis charge siphon of fixed length and of such capacity as to discharge the fluid accumulating in the discharge tank at a speed greater than its supply thereto. This invention, however, even on a small scale, if employed for the purpose of automatically supplying disinfecting or odorizing substances, would not perform the same functions or accomplish the same result as my device for the reason that it does not include, as an essential feature, a means for adjustably regulating and controlling the flow of fluids from the main reservoir to the discharge reservoir, whereby the supply of fluids of different density, fluidity or viscosity from the main reservoir to the discharge chamber may be regulated with reference to each other in. such a manner that the discharge from the discharge chamber may take place at equal periods of time, for example, crude carbolic acid or similar heavy and viscous fluids, and lighter fluids, such as ethereal solutions of formic aldehyde or a solution of formic aldehyde in methyl-acetic ester, if employed independently in an apparatus having an orifice communicating with the supply reservoir and discharge chamber of fixed area, would result in the filling of the discharge chamber with the lighter or less viscous fluid, such as a solution of formic aldehyde in methyl acetate, with so' much more rapidity than with the heavier or more viscous fluids, such as crude carbolic acid, that the frequency at which the dis charge from the discharge chamber would take place through automatic siphonic action, would be increased and the time between discharges shortened, resulting in the discharge of larger volumes of lighter fluid in a given time from the same reservoir than of the heavier or more viscous fluids.

j With my device, however, the area of the orifice or means communicating with the supply reservoir and discharge chamber may be easily regulated and adjusted in such a manner that no matter what the density,

fluidity or viscosity of the fluid employed is, the lighter fluids can be discharged at relatively equal intervals with the heavy or more viscous fluids, thereby preventing the waste of lighter fluids.

My apparatus also includes the additional feature, aside from the means for equalizing the discharge of fluids of different density, fluidity or viscosity, of a means for regulating the amount of fluid which may be discharged at any given time, which can be gaged by adjustably raising or lowering the siphon in the discharge chamber, which means in 'coaction with means for regulating the rapidity of supplying fluid from the supply reservoir to the discharge chamber will result in the discharge of larger or less quantities of fluid in a given time regardless of the density, fluidity or viscosity of the fluid, at the will of the op erator, the discharge from the dischargechamber through siphonic action occurring automatically with the fill of the discharge chamber to the point at which the turn of the siphon has been adjusted and is not dependent upon the application or employment of any exterior force or mechanical energy, other than gravity.

Having now described my invention, what I I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A disinfecting or odorizing apparatus comprising a reservoir provided with an airinlet or duct communicating with the reservoir above the liquid therein, a discharge receptacle provided with a controlling and regulating means for supplying a liquid thereto from the reservoir, and means including an adjustable siphon for discharging the liquid from the discharge receptacle, the operation of which is actuated by the liquid entering the discharge chamber.

2. A disinfecting or odorizing apparatus comprising a reservoir provided with an airinlet or duct communicating with the reservoir above the liquid therein, a discharge receptacle provided with a controlling and regulating means for regulating the supply thereto of fluid from the reservoir, and means including an adjustable siphon for discharging the liquid from the discharge receptacle, the operation of which is actuated by the liquid entering the discharge chamber.

3. A disinfecting or odorizing apparatus, comprising the combination with a reservoir provided with an air inlet or duct, of a discharge receptacle, means for supplying fluid from the reservoir to the discharge receptacle, means for altering the supply of fluid from the reservoir to the said receptacle, means actuated by the pressure of fluid entering the discharge receptacle for discharging the fluid therefrom, and means for regulating or adjusting the amount of fluid supplied from the dis charge receptacle at any given discharge.

4. A disinfecting or odorizing apparatus,

comprising the combination with a reservoir provided With an air inlet or duct, of a discharge receptacle, an air inlet to the said receptacle, means for supplying fluid from the reservoir to the discharge receptacle, means for altering the supply of fluid from the reservoir to the said receptacle, means actuated by the pressure of fluid entering the discharge receptacle for discharging the fluid therefrom, and means for regulating or adjusting the amount of fluid supplied from the discharge receptacle at any given discharge.

5. In a disinfecting or odorizing apparatus, the combination With a discharge receptacle of an adjustable and automatic means for discharging variable quantities of fluids at a given time, therefrom, said means having a fixed point of discharge.

6. In a disinfecting or odorizing apparatus, the combination With a discharge receptacle HENRY SPENCER llhAUKMOll ll.

Witnesses H. N. JENKINs, C. C. VVRIGIIT. 

